This invention relates generally to pipes used for smoking tobacco, and relates more particularly to a pipe made from a flat sheet of material that can be folded into a functional shape.
A typical smoking pipe has a bowl joined to a stem. The bowl holds the tobacco or other smoking material and has an air passageway at the bottom that connects to the stem. The stem is a tubular structure having a bit opposite the bowl through which a user draws smoke. The tobacco and the ash that results from burning are typically isolated from the stem by a screen or narrow region or baffle in the air passageway. Repeated use of the pipe causes tars and other residue to build up in the bowl, on the screen and in the stem, which may interfere with the taste and pleasure of the smoke and which may build up enough to interfere with the function of the pipe. Cleaning the pipe reduces but may not eliminate all the tars and residue. Discarding the pipe after several uses and using a new, clean pipe is one solution to this problem, but can be expensive. Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive pipe that may be used once or a few times and then discarded.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,130 discloses a disposable pipe that is formed by folding a T-shaped single sheet of flexible material into a functional pipe with a stem and bowl. The sheet has several interconnected panels, made of paper, that are folded and formed into a stem, with overlapping panels that are fastened together with glue. The sheet also has several interconnected panels, made of paper lined with fire proof material like aluminum foil, that are folded to form a bowl, with overlapping panels that are fastened together with glue. Inside the stem is a filter that extends from near the bowl to the bit end of the pipe. This pipe is disposable and is intended to be distributed in its assembled form, with or without tobacco.
Another concern about traditional smoking pipes is their size and bulk. A traditional pipe is a three-dimensional object that occupies a substantial space, which may be too bulky to carry conveniently in a pocket or small bag. The bulk of traditional smoking pipes, or a pipe like that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,130, makes retailing more expensive, which makes them less available than they might be if they were less bulky to stock and distribute.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,505 discloses a disposable pipe formed from a foldable flat blank, made of paper or plastic, with a collapsed metal foil bowl. The body of the pipe is made by folding the panels of the flat blank and using tabs coated with adhesive to hold the structure together. The bowl is initially installed in a flattened condition, and can be unfolded into a bowl shape. The bottom of the bowl is perforated to allow smoke to be drawn into the body of the pipe. Although this pipe in its flat form prior to assembly is less bulky than traditional pipes, the flattened bowl adds substantially to the thickness of the pipe and to the cost of construction.
What is needed is a less-bulky and less-expensive disposable smoking pipe that would be convenient for a smoker to carry and convenient for a retailer to stock.
In summary, the present invention is a smoking pipe constructed from a flat sheet of material, small enough to fit in a wallet, which can be folded into a functional smoking pipe with an integrated bowl, screen, and stem. The stem is formed by multiple flat panels folded to create a passageway having an opening at one end. The screen consists of several holes through an upper panel of the stem. The bowl is formed by multiple flat panels folded to surround the screen. The material of the smoking pipe is preferably metal, formed into a flat blank ready for folding. The blank of metal has a number of reduced thickness fold lines, which preferably are about one-half the thickness of the metal blank, that join adjacent panels and permit the panels to be folded.
The present invention is also a foldable blank that can be assembled into a functional smoking pipe. The foldable blank is a flat sheet of material, preferably metal, composed of stem panels and bowl panels. The sheet of metal has fold lines between adjacent panels that allow adjacent stem panels to be bent along the fold lines to form a hollow stem of the smoking pipe. The fold lines also allow adjacent bowl panels to be bent along the fold lines to form a bowl of the smoking pipe. One stem panel has holes that form a perforated screen disposed between the bowl and hollow stem of the smoking pipe.
The foldable blank of the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture and small in size, so it is easy to transport and store. It is convenient for a smoker to carry in a wallet and convenient for a retailer to stock. When the smoker wants to use the pipe, the foldable blank is folded along the fold lines into a functional pipe.
The features and advantages described in the specification are not all inclusive, and particularly, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification and claims hereof. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter, resort to the claims being necessary to determine such inventive subject matter.